What both characters, who played major roles in Superman & Lois season 4’s cast, have in common is the fact that none of them ended up being responsible for taking down Superman. There were many theories about what the future could hold for Hoechlin’s version of the Man of Steel. After all, Steel had discovered after a scan that not only would Clark Kent one day become powerless, but he would die earlier than expected because Sam Lane’s heart was not compatible with his Kryptonian body. Still, Superman survived fighting Doomsday and Luthor, though not all of Superman & Lois.
The Superman & Lois Series Finale Just Broke A Major Superman Rule
The DC Series Did Something Entirely New With Its Man Of Steel
Superman & Lois season 4 began with a very emotional episode, as Doomsday killed Tyler Hoechlin’s Man of Steel in a version of DC Comics’ “The Death of Superman.” However, Clark came back to life a couple of episodes later, spending most of the season dealing with the fallout of his death and resurrection. After a few time jumps showed the futures of Superman & Lois‘ characters, it was revealed that Sam Lane’s heart allowed Clark to live 32 more years after his first death. However, he would not escape dying a second time.
Well, he did briefly escape, as Kyle saved his life after Clark had a heart attack. However, an older version of Hoechlin’s character would come to die as Jonathan and Jordan stood by his side at their Smallville home. This time, though, the death was permanent. As it happened 32 years after the main events of Superman & Lois season 4, Clark Kent was already a human by then, with his powers fading over time due to Sam’s heart. Since Lois Lane had emotionally died years before him when her cancer returned, they had a sweet reunion in the afterlife.
Why Superman & Lois Killing The DC Hero Off For Good Is Such A Big Deal
The Man Of Steel Is DC’s Biggest Icon
Superman has died many times before, which means his passing in the DC series is not new, even where only live-action adaptations are concerned. However, there is a major reason why Clark’s death in the Superman & Lois series finale is so important. Screen Rant spoke to Superman & Lois‘ Jordan Kent actor Alex Garfin about the show’s final episode. When talking about Clark Kent getting a definitive death in the episode, Garfin said, “Oh, it’s a testament to the character that it’s [been] about around for 85 years, and we’ve never seen him die fully.” Check out the full quote below:
Alex Garfin : Oh, it’s a testament to the character that it’s [been] about around for 85 years, and we’ve never seen him die fully. It’s a testament to the power of that character that you would think that someone else would have been able to do it before we have, and then it’s also that much more of an honor to realize that we get to do that. I’m not a big comic book guy, as we all know, but I am a big history guy, and it feels bizarre to be a part of history, in no matter what field, comic book or television alike, I think the gravity of the moment isn’t really felt until I think everyone watches it and feels it.
In over 85 years, Superman has died in countless Elseworlds stories, adaptations, and even for short stints in the main DC Comics continuity. However, what makes the Superman & Lois series finale’s death of the Man of Steel special is the finality of it. The show is not holding back a major reveal for a new season or even teasing the character to come back to life in this universe’s future, even if the audience never sees it. Superman is dead, and he is not coming back. Clark Kent’s journey gets an emotional final chapter, and his legacy lives on.
Superman & Lois’ Death Timing Means It’s Impossible For The Show To Repeat A Classic Superhero Death Trope
The DC Series Is Not Coming Back For More
Since Tyler Hoechlin’s Clark Kent dies in the final episode ever of Superman & Lois, with the Arrowverse already over and the new DC Universe set to debut David Corenswet’s Superman next year, he is almost certainly not coming back. The timing of Superman’s death makes it impossible for the classic comic book trope of a hero dying and coming back to life to happen. There is no way for him to come back to life in Superman & Lois, as the series has ended, and Hoechlin appearing elsewhere as Clark is not looking likely.
Superhero comic books often walk back deaths, be it through universe resets, time travel, or thousands of other creative ways. Superman & Lois even did so, with the DC series first teasing that the Man of Steel was dead for good before Clark came back to life at the end of the final season’s third episode. However, as Clark himself states through his narration, his second death marked the true end of his life, and it was more heartwarming than sad, as Clark got to forgive Lex Luthor and reunite with Lois in the afterlife, ending Superman & Lois beautifully.
